How to be a Geek Goddess - page 2

How to be a Geek Stereotype

January 6, 2009

By
Tina Gasperson

The book leaves me with the aroma of cognitive dissonance all throughout, as it tries to balance the spoken idea that women really are smart, with the contrasting, between the lines idea that they don't really know anything about technology and need to be instructed on the lowest basics including the advice, "you have to get at least halfway to knowing what you want all by yourself." Wood warns unwary computer shoppers that they could end up being sold high-end servers when all they wanted was a modest little desktop system. I suppose that could be true if you're really stupid. I'm just sayin. Even someone who knows nothing about technology but has half a brain would stop to question the wisdom of spending thousands of dollars on a computer when everyone else is carting home eMachines. But women are really savvy and smart, wink wink nudge. That's why they need to be told that, even though they might have their "heart set on a laptop because you think they are cute, you might want to do the math - and take a close look at your personal situation - before you drop the coin."

I realize there is a substantial segment of the population that doesn't know the basics about computers and technology, and they really do need a handbook or a very good and patient friend to tell them these thing. In that way, Geek Goddess will serve as an informative and fairly entertaining read for those people (if they don't end up feeling that their intelligence has been roundly insulted by the end). And Wood really does manage to package the goodies in a certain appealing way that will keep you reading, even if you're so pissed off by the end you want to throw the book at the nearest wall. Read it quickly though - as with most books about technology, it will be outdated by the beginning of 2010. Something tells me there will be a second edition of Geek Goddess waiting around the corner.